Hypericum plant named ‘Allgrandeur’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Allgrandeur’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; moderately freely branching habit; freely flowering habit and high fruit density; glossy bright red-colored fruits; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Hypericum hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLGRANDEUR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant, botanically known as Hypericum hybrida, typically grown as a container plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allgrandeur’.

The new Hypericum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cuijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Hypericum plants with strong stems, numerous attractive fruits and good garden performance.

The new Hypericum plant originated from an open-pollination in September, 2010 in Cuijk, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Hypericum hybrida identified as code number ALLHY9-24-1, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection of Hypericum hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands in October, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands since October, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hypericum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Allgrandeur’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Allgrandeur’ as a new and distinct Hypericum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Moderately freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit and high fruit density.     -   5. Glossy bright red-colored fruits.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have shorter lateral branches         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum have lighter green-colored leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and the female parent selection         differ in fruit color as plants of the female parent selection         have brown-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericum hybrida ‘Alldiablo’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, conducted in Cuijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hypericum differed primarily from plants of ‘Alldiablo’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum had flatter leaves than plants of         ‘Alldiablo’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum had smoother and more rounded         fruits than plants of ‘Alldiablo’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Hypericum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Allgrandeur’ grown in a 10-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown during the autumn in an outdoor nursery in Cuijk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial container-type Hypericum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 16° C. Plants were one year old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hypericum hybrida ‘Allgrandeur’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum             hybrida identified as code number ALLHY9-24-1, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hypericum             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at             temperatures about 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 to 20 days at             temperatures about 12° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 to 32             days at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 28 to 36             days at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; compact, upright             and outwardly spreading plant habit, narrow inverted             triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Moderately freely basal branching habit;             about ten lateral branches develop per plant; pinching             enhances lateral branch development.         -   Plant height.—About 44.2 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 34.1 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 25.1 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Internode length: About 5.6 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong to strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Luster: Moderately glossy. Color, developing: Close to 145A             to 145B slightly tinged with close to 183A. Color, fully             developed: Close to N199C to N199D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 6.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse to shallowly retuse.         -   Base.—Truncate to cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth to slightly             rugose; glabrous.         -   Luster, upper surface.—Slightly glossy.         -   Luster, lower surface.—Matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146C to 146D.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between             147A and N189A; venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to             145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single rotate             flowers arranged in terminal and axillary compound cymes;             freely flowering habit with about eleven flowers per cyme;             flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             early July to early October in The Netherlands; plants begin             flowering about nine months after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two or three days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fruit longevity.—About one month on the plant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 12B; towards the apex,             close to 13A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.7 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.8 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.9 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate;             concave; slightly reflexed. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper surface: Matte.             Luster, lower surface: Slightly glossy. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 12A; color             becoming closer to 13A to 13B with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 12B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate;             slightly reflexed. Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse. Base:             Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Dull, matte. Color: When opening, upper surface:             Close to 143A to 143B. When opening, lower surface: Close to             146D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 143A. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 143B to 143C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong.             Aspect: Erect to about 42.5° from vertical. Color: Close to             144B strongly tinged with close to 183A to 183B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Moderately strong.             Aspect: Erect to about 40° from vertical. Color: Close to             144C strongly tinged with close to 183B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Filament length: About 1.4 mm. Filament color:             Close to 12A. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape:             Broadly oval. Anther color: Close to 15A. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: Single pistil with three stigmas. Pistil length:             About 4.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close             to 34A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close to             154C. Ovary color: Close to 154C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.1 cm Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape:             Spherical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color:             Close to 46A to 45B; towards the base, close to 155A.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 0.9 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color:             Close to 200A. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hypericum     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate high temperatures     about 30° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Allgrandeur’ as illustrated and described. 